Kukla's Korner Hockey

The San Jose Sharks assigned defenceman Kyle McLaren to their minor-league affiliate in Worcester on Wednesday after no NHL teams claimed the 12-year NHL veteran on waivers.

McLaren, who spent the past 4 1/2 seasons with the Sharks, was waived Tuesday in a move to create salary-cap room. The oft-injured veteran is due to make US$2.5 million this season, but he didn’t fit the Sharks’ plans after the club added defencemen Rob Blake, Dan Boyle and Brad Lukowich to a young defensive core including Marc-Edouard Vlasic, Christian Ehrhoff and Doug Murray.

“Kyle is an NHL player,” Sharks coach Todd McLellan said. “He has the ability to play for many more years in this league, and it just didn’t work out with us for whatever reason.”